Appendicitis v.1.

2
Executive Summary

Summary of Version Changes

Inclusion Criteria
Age > 3 months with confirmed
appendicitis by the surgical team
requiring acute or delayed
appendectomy

Citation Information

Additional Information Slides

Exclusion Criteria
Age < 3 months and patients who
do not have a confirmed
appendicitis diagnosis by the
surgical team

Off
Pathway

No

Appendicitis Diagnosis Confirmed:

1) Appendicitis diagnosis confirmed by
surgical team
AND
2) Treatment plan includes either urgent
appendectomy or non-operative
appendicitis
Yes

Communication of treatment plan by

Surgical Attending/Fellow to ED
Attending/Fellow

ED Confirmed Appendicitis Phase:

Antibiotics (FIRST
(FIRST DOSE)
DOSE)
Antibiotics
CEFTRIAXONE
ceftriaxone &&metronidazole
METRONIDAZOLE

If severe beta lactam allergy, then

ciprofloxacin & metronidazole
NPO
NG Tube if distended and vomiting
IV Fluids
Pain Management

Non-Operative Appendicitis

Urgent Appendectomy

Surgical Team

Surgical Team

Confirm ED Phase is complete

If ED phase not complete, then

complete and order first dose of
antibiotics
Admit to Floor or ICU
NPO
NG Tube if distended and vomiting
IV Fluids
Pain Management
Monitoring
Antibiotics
CEFTRIAXONE & METRONIDAZOLE

If severe beta lactam allergy then

ciproflaxacin + metronidazole
ciprofloxacin

At least 7 days of antibiotics

Consider PICC line as per hospital

policy

Confirm ED Phase is complete

If ED phase not complete, then

complete and order first dose of
antibiotics
Admission Orders
Transfer to
to Operating
Operating room
room or
or Admit
Admit
Transfer
NPO
NG Tube if distended and vomiting
IV Fluids
Pain Management
Monitoring
Antibiotics
& METRONIDAZOLE
CEFTRIAXONE
ceftriaxone & metronidazole

For questions concerning this pathway,

contact:Appendicitis@seattlechildrens.org
2014 Seattle Childrens Hospital, all rights reserved, Medical Disclaimer

severe beta
beta lactum
lactum allergy
allergy then
then
IfIf severe
ciprofloxacin ++ metronidazole
metronidazole
ciproflaxacin

Last Updated: July 2014

Valid Until: July 2016

Appendicitis v.1.2
Care in the OR
IVIV
Antibiotics
surgical
site
profolaxsis
Antibiotics
forfor
surgical
site
prophylaxis
Antibiotics need to be given less than one hour prior to incision
If no antibiotics have been given in less than one hour prior to incision, then
cefoxitin
gentimicin
If severe beta lactam allergy then give clindamycin + gentamicin
A Anesthesia to assess and establish good IV access
OR Findings
Complicated vs Uncomplicated Appendicitis:

Perforated

Gangrenous

Suppurative

Peritonitis

Abscess

Yes

Complicated Appendicitis
Post Operative Care:
NG Tube if distended or vomiting
NPO
Advance diet as tolerated
IV Fluids
Pain Management
Monitoring
IV Antibiotics for at least 72 hours
& METRONIDAZOLE
CEFTRIAXONE
ceftriaxone + metronidazole
severe beta
beta lactam
lactam allergy
allergy then
IfIf severe
ciproflaxacin + metronidazole
ciprofloxacin

No

Uncomplicated Appendicitis
Post Operative Care:

Diet Advance as tolerated

IV Fluids
Pain Management
Monitoring
Labs - None
IV Antibiotics None

Discharge Criteria
Discharge Readiness Assessment:
Beginning at POD#3, continuing daily until post op/
discharge criteria are met:
IF

Afebrile (T<38C)
Tolerating Diet
Pain well managed
No sign of wound
infection

THEN

Afebrile (T<38C)
Tolerating Diet
No sign of wound infection
Pain is controlled

Check CBC
differential

Post Discharge Care

Clinic RN to call family 5-7 days post op

If CBC/Differential
NORMAL Transition to
PO Antibiotics and
Discharge

If CBC/Differential
ABNORMAL Continue IV
antibiotics and reassess
daily until patient meets
discharge criteria or POD
#7

Transition to PO antibiotics
IV + PO antibiotics = 7days Total
PO Augmentin
If severe beta lactam allergy transition to
ciprofloxacin + metronidazole

If patient has
not met
discharge
criteria by POD
#7 then
reassess

7 Day Assessment if not

improving consider:

Discharge Criteria

Afebrile (T<38C) x 24 hrs

Tolerating Diet
No sign of wound infection
Pain is controlled
CBC + Diff Evaluation
Tolerated transition to PO

Post Discharge Care

CT Scan
Labs CBC +
differential
CRP
BUN/Creatinine
AST
ALT

Off
Pathway

Family to return to clinic 1-3

weeks post discharge

For questions concerning this pathway,

contact:Appendicitis@seattlechildrens.org
2014 Seattle Childrens Hospital, all rights reserved, Medical Disclaimer

Last Updated: July 2014

Valid until: July 2016

Additional Information

Communication of Treatment Plan

The goal is for the patient to receive appropriate intravenous antibiotics as
soon as possible after the surgery team confirms the diagnosis of appendicitis
and makes a treatment plan.

To facilitate this goal the surgery attending/fellow will communicate the

treatment plan directly to the ED attending/fellow as soon as possible.
Once notified by the surgery team the ED team will order the ED Confirmed
Appendicitis Phase of the Appendicitis Pathway as soon as possible and
expedite the administration of the appropriate antibiotics.
As the surgical team prepares the patient for admission and operating room
they will confirm that the ED Confirmed Appendicitis Phase orders have been
ordered and if not already ordered then the Surgery team will order the ED
Confirmed Appendicitis Phase .

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Additional Information

Antibiotics First Dose

Broad spectrum antibiotics that are used to treat complicated intra-abdominal

infections are indicated for children going to the operating room for
appendectomy for presumed appendicitis because clinical evaluation
including history, physical examination, laboratory studies and imaging is not
accurate at distinguishing complicated from uncomplicated appendicitis.
Therefore we initiate treatment for complicated appendicitis for all patients.

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Non-Operative Appendectomy:

The non-operative appendicitis pathway is meant for patients who at the

time of admission are not planned to have an appendectomy.

These patients have no appendectomy scheduled.

Some of the these patients may have an appendectomy during their initial
hospitalization and then they would go onto the appropriate postoperative
care pathway as determine by the findings at the time of operation.

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Urgent Appendectomy:

The urgent appendectomy pathway is meant for patients whose plan is

that they will go to the operating room for appendectomy as soon as their
clinical condition is stable and the operating room and appropriate care
teams (anesthesia, nursery and surgery) are available.

These patients will have their procedures scheduled.

Most of these procedures will be within a few hours and almost all will be
within 12-24 hours of the decision for operation.

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Additional Information
Ceftriaxone & Metronidazole

For patients with diagnosis of appendicitis empiric treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics active against enteric
gram-negative aerobic and facultative bacilli, enteric gram -positive streptococci and obligate anaerobic bacilli is
indicated.*

Acceptable broad-spectrum antibiotic regimens for children with complicated intra -abdominal infection include*
1. Aminoglycoside based regimen (ex. triple antibiotics gentamicin, ampicillin and metronidazole
2. Carbapenem (ex. Meropenem)
3. Beta-lactam/beta-lactamase-inhibitor combination (ex. Piperacillin-tazobactam)
4. Advanced generation cephalosporin (ex. Ceftriaxone) and metronidazole

We have elected to use the combination of ceftriaxone and metronidazole because it

o avoids the toxicity of aminoglycosides and the extra blood draws necessary to monitor aminoglycoside levels
o preserves carbapenem use for immunosuppressed patients or to treat resistant organisms
o avoids the multiple blood draws required to monitor renal function in patients receiving multiple potentially
nephrotoxic drugs (ex. Piperacillin-tazobactam and the postoperative analgesic ketorolac)

o is easy to transition to home treatment of oral metronidazole and once -a-day IV ceftriaxone

*Solomkin JS, et al. Diagnosis and management of complicated intra-abdominal infection in adults and children: guidelines by th e Surgical
Infection Society and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2010; 50:133-164

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OR/Post-Op

Transfer to Operating Room or Admission:

Patients on the urgent appendectomy pathway will have orders for both Transfer to the OR
and Admission
The determination of whether the patient goes straight from the ED to the Operating Room or whether
they first are admitted to the floor before going to the Operating Room will depend upon:
The patients clinical condition
The availability of the OR and OR care teams (anesthesia, nursing and surgery)
The availability of ED beds and staff
The availability of floor beds and staff

Patients on the Non-Operative Appendectomy pathway will go to the floor or ICU based on
their clinical condition.

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Ciprofloxacin & Metronidazole

If the patient has a history of severe beta lactam allergy then the next
antibiotic choice is intravenous ciprofloxacin and metronidazole.

The safety profile of ciprofloxacin in children makes it a reasonable second

line drug.

*Solomkin JS, et al. Diagnosis and management of complicated intra-abdominal infection in adults and children: guidelines by th e
Surgical Infection Society and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2010; 50:133-164
*Adefurin A. Ciprofloxacin safety in pediatrics: a systematic review

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OR/Post-Op

Additional Information

IV Antibiotics: Care in the OR

Children undergoing appendectomy require a dose of broad -spectrum prophylactic antibiotics

within one hour of the incision to minimize the risk of Surgical Site Infection (SSI). 1

If the patient has not received broad spectrum antibiotics for treatment of appendicitis (as outlined
in previous pathway steps) or if these antibiotics have been given more than one hour from the
time of incision then an additional dose of antibiotics (either cefoxitin or in patients with severe
beta lactam allergies, gentamicin and clindamycin) should be given in the operating room
immediately prior to the incision.2

For SSI prophylaxis the dose of cefoxitin in 40 mg/kg up to a maximum of 2 grams and the dose
should be repeated every 2 hours during the operation.3

1. Lee SL, et al. Antibiotics and appendicitis in the pediatric population: an American Pediatric Surgical Association Outcomes an d
Clinical Trials Committee Systematic Review. J Pediatr Surg 2010 45:2181-2185.
2. Solomkin JS, et al. Diagnosis and management of complicated intra-abdominal infection in adults and children: guidelines by the
Surgical Infection Society and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2010; 50:133-164
3. Bratzler DW, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2013; 70:195283.

Clindamycin & Gentamicin: Care in the OR

To provide appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis in a timely manner for patients with

severe beta lactam allergies clindamycin and gentamicin will be used rather than
ciprofloxacin and metronidazole since the latter combination has a prolonged
administration time.

If further antibiotic therapy is indicated postoperatively for patients with severe beta
lactam allergy then ciprofloxacin and metronidazole will be used.

Bratzler DW, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery. Am J Health-Syst
Pharm. 2013; 70:195-283.

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OR/Post-Op

Additional Information

IV Access: Care in the OR

Recommendations

If complicated appendicitis is found during the procedure, the anesthesia provider

should ensure that there is a good peripheral IV in a stable location such as the hand or
forearm prior to emergence from anesthesia.
If the original PIV is working well and in a stable location, there is no need to move it.
If a new IV is placed, the original PIV should be DCed prior to departure from the PACU.

Issues
Patients with acute appendicitis often have small PIVs placed upon arrival in the ER.
Small antecubital PIVs are uncomfortable for patients and have a tendency to infiltrate
more quickly than PIVs placed in other locations.
Since PICC lines are no longer routinely placed in patients with complicated
appendicitis, it is optimal to have a comfortable PIV that will last for the duration of
postoperative antibiotic treatment.
This should link to page 15 which defines complicated vs uncomplicated appendicitis.

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OR/Post-Op

Additional Information

OR Findings:

Further treatment will be determined based on the operative findings

Uncomplicated appendicitis is defined as an inflamed but grossly intact,

nongangrenous, nonsuppurative appendix with no associated abscess or
peritonitis

Complicated appendicitis is defined as an appendix that is gangrenous,

suppurative, grossly perforated or associated with an abscess or peritonitis.

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OR/Post-Op

Additional Information

Discharge Readiness Assessment:

All patients with complicated appendicitis will receive at least 72 hours of IV

antibiotics.

All patients with complicated appendicitis will receive a total of 7 days of IV+PO
antibiotics.

On or after POD #3 when patient is well on exam (afebrile, tolerating a diet, with no
signs of wound infection and with only expected pain and tenderness) then CBC with
diff will be checked.

If CBC and diff are normal (based on the normal ranges for age as described in CIS)
then the patient can be transitioned to PO antibiotics and if PO antibiotics are
tolerated then discharged home.

If CBC and diff are abnormal then patient will continue to receive IV antibiotics and
patient will be reassessed daily.

Assessment at 7 days:

The Complicated appendicitis postoperative pathway stops after POD #7.

If after 7 days of treatment the patient is not ready for discharge home; ie if they are
febrile, not tolerating a diet, have signs of wound infection or more than expected
pain and tenderness, or an abnormal WBC or diff, then they will be reassessed and
further treatment individualized.

For the patient who is not ready for discharge on POD#7 blood tests should be
obtained
CBC and diff and CRP to assess on-going inflammation and infection
BUN/Creatinine and transaminases to assess possible drug side effects

For the patient who is not ready for discharge on POD#7 abdominal imaging (CT
scan) should be considered either at this time or at a defined time in the near future
to evaluate for possible intra-abdominal abscess (i.e., inadequate source control)

Additional antibiotics or change in antibiotics should be considered.

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OR/Post-Op

Executive Summary

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Executive Summary

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Summary of Version Changes

Version 1 (7/9/2013): Go live

Version 1.1 (7/8/2014): Additional information slide attached to beta lactam allergy description
Version 1.2 (3/13/2015): Added page 2 of Executive Summary

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Medical Disclaimer
Medicine is an ever-changing science. As new research and clinical experience
broaden our knowledge, changes in treatment and drug therapy are required.
The authors have checked with sources believed to be reliable in their efforts to
provide information that is complete and generally in accord with the standards
accepted at the time of publication.
However, in view of the possibility of human error or changes in medical sciences,
neither the authors nor Seattle Childrens Healthcare System nor any other party
who has been involved in the preparation or publication of this work warrants that
the information contained herein is in every respect accurate or complete, and
they are not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained
from the use of such information.
Readers should confirm the information contained herein with other sources and
are encouraged to consult with their health care provider before making any
health care decision.

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Bibliography
Search Methods, Appendectomy, Clinical Standard Work
Studies were identified by searching electronic databases using search strategies developed and
executed by a medical librarian, Susan Klawansky. Searches were performed in November 2012 in
the following databases on the Ovid platform: Medline and Cochrane Database of Systematic
Reviews; elsewhere: Embase, Clinical Evidence, National Guideline Clearinghouse and TRIP. Retrieval
was limited to 2002 to current, humans, and English language. In Medline and Embase, appropriate
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Emtree headings were used respectively, along with text
words, and the search strategy was adapted for other databases as appropriate. Concepts searched
were appendectomy, intraabdominal infection, appendicitis or appendix. All retrieval was further
limited to certain evidence categories, such as relevant publication types, index terms for study types
and other similar limits.
Susan Klawansky, MLS, AHIP
March 27, 2013

Identification
114 records identified through
database searching

2 additional records identified

through other sources

Screening
2 records after duplicates removed

114 records screened

62 records excluded

52 full-text articles assessed for eligibility

42 full-text articles excluded,

32 did not answer clinical question
10 did not meet quality threshold

Elgibility

Included
10 studies included in pathway
Flow diagram adapted from Moher D et al. BMJ 2009;339:bmj.b2535

To Bibliography, Pg 1

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Bibliography

Adefurin A, Sammons H, Jacqz-Aigrain E, Choonara I. Ciprofloxacin safety in paediatrics: A systematic review.

Arch Dis Child [Appendectomy]. 2011;96(9):874-880

Lee SL, Islam S, Cassidy LD, Abdullah F, Arca MJ, 2010 American Pediatric Surgical Association Outcomes and
Clinical Trials,Committee. Antibiotics and appendicitis in the pediatric population: An american pediatric surgical
association outcomes and clinical trials committee systematic review. J Pediatr Surg [Appendectomy].
2010;45(11):2181-2185.

Solomkin JS, Mazuski JE, Bradley JS, et al. Diagnosis and management of complicated intra-abdominal infection in
adults and children: Guidelines by the surgical infection society and the infectious diseases society of america. Clin
Infect Dis [Appendectomy]. 2010;50(2):133-164.

Solomkin JS, Mazuski JE, Baron EJ, et al. Guidelines for the selection of anti-infective agents for complicated intraabdominal infections. Clin Infect Dis [Appendectomy]. 2003;37(8):997-1005

To Bibliography, Pg 2

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Bibliography

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Appendicitis Citation
Title: Appendicitis Pathway
Authors:
Seattle Childrens Hospital
Dan Ledbetter
Suzan Mazor
Elaine Beardsley
Vincent Hsieh
Jennifer Magin
Erin Moriarty
Mike Leu
Jean Popalisky

Date: July 8, 2014

Retrieval Website: http://child.childrens.sea.kids/Documents/
Clinical_Standard_Work_Pathways_and_Tools/Appendicitis/Appendicitis_Pathway.pdf
Example:
Seattle Childrens Hospital, Ledbetter D, Mazor S, Beardsley E, Hsieh V, Magin J, Moriarty E, Leu M,
Popalisky J. 2014 July. Appendicitis Pathway. Available from: http://child.childrens.sea.kids/
Documents/Clinical_Standard_Work_Pathways_and_Tools/Appendicitis/Appendicitis_Pathway.pdf

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